


Errand

by Blackpenny



Category: Blake et Mortimer | Blake and Mortimer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-16 18:44:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19323919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackpenny/pseuds/Blackpenny
Summary: This is something I wrote to address two questions about the Blake and Mortimer series by E.P. Jacobs. One, why do people keep hiring Olrik when he seems to fail constantly? Two, what on earth would being bombarded with mind control rays do to a person over time? I'm playing with the comic conventions here, as bad guys always have to fail and characters start off each graphic novel with nary a bruise. This takes place after The Yellow M. Since I wrote this the actual series has addressed what happened in the gaps between Jacobs' novels, but I like this version which is a follow up to Escape: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4554852





	Errand

Even his enemies agree he would have made an excellent actor. The secret of a good disguise, Olrik thinks, is creating a character you really know from the inside out. Anyone can be apply a false beard or a pair of glasses, but it takes an artist to make the walk, the gestures, the voice, and the expressions convincing.

The character he’s working on now is a seafaring man down on his luck. He’s looking for work, a cheap place to live, maybe a drink and bit of talk. This is a particularly apt character at the moment as Olrik is down on his luck and this is the first work he’s had in more than a year, or at least the first work he’s willingly taken on.

The job is so simple the offer would have been insulting in better days. Ignatief has targeted a young scientist who is part of the team analyzing Septimus’s machinery. The sadistic little bastard had laughed a great deal while explaining the situation to Olrik. The British government has broken down and catalogued the equipment in the horrible lab where Olrik was tortured for so long. The next step is reproducing the mad doctor’s results and creating new applications of the technology.

“You must be a part of this, my friend!” Ignatief had exclaimed through a broad smile. “Any of our operatives could do it, but you have the finest motivation!” 

The target is a Henry Joseph Wilcox, a junior physicist with Defense, a brilliant but sometimes forgetful young man who tends to take his work home with him. The British government is keeping security high, but not unusually so. They have no idea that the Russians are even aware of the telecephaloscope, which is a decided advantage.

Young Wilcox is the son of an accountant who was the son of a merchant seaman. He has a sentimental attachment to seafaring types and even toyed with the idea of joining the navy. He satisfies his attachment to the mariner’s life by occasionally taking a slightly longer route home to pass by the St. Katharine’s Docks and having a pint in one of the local pubs.

Olrik has, of course, memorized all of this and a great deal more information about Henry Wilcox. As soon as Ignatieff presented him with Wilcox’s biography, Olrik started growing out his beard and creating a concept of the character he would play. This will be a long-term role with no real headquarters, so he needs minimal makeup. The Yellow Mark ordeal has left him hollow-eyed and thinner in the face. He can use this. He gathers clothing typical of seafaring men from second-hand shops and has Ignatief’s barber cut his hair closely and bleaches it white at his temples very selectively to add about ten years to his face. He perfects the walk he will use, and practices his new gestures until they seem natural.

Olrik packs his costume clothes and papers into a duffle bag. In the wee hours on a cold February morning, Ignatieff’s driver drops him off near the docks. When the sun rises dimly that morning, Olrik is completely in character walking briskly but with a slight roll, nodding to men of his station, or rather the station he seems to be.

The boarding house was decided on long ago, but Olrik makes a show of checking out different places. He pays three days in advance and treats the landlady with a gruff gallantry that wins her over immediately. She escorts him to the breakfast room where a sleepy maid in a frayed and faded dress is replenishing coffee and tea. 

Olrik introduces himself as Bill Maddox. (Wilcox’s grandfather was a William.) The other men pay him little mind as they tuck into bacon, fried eggs, and beans. Olrik eats heartily and listens, gathering information, bits of local “color,” and getting more of a feeling for the language these men use. After breakfast he takes his duffle up to the third floor of the narrow house to a small room with an extra-long single bed, a row of hooks on the wall, a chest of three drawers and a tiny window with a view of a warehouse. It’s perfect.

After unpacking his few items and being careful to hide the dossier, Olrik walks up and down the docks. According to his papers, he last served as a radio officer on a ship on a bulk carrier since retired. His search for work is completely genuine; Olrik has set himself the goal of being hired on a merchant ship within two weeks. The third captain Olrik meets with gives him the hard eyes and asks if he needs a drink.

Olrik flushes, another completely natural effect.

“It’s not drink, sir. I never touch a drop except a pint now and then when work is done. The shaking is something called Parkinson’s. It’s not so bad I can’t work, I swear to you. Twenty years experience – it’s got to be worth something. I’m just not ready to pack it in.”

The man is still skeptical, but at least he allows Olrik to sit down and explain himself – or rather Maddox – more completely. Olrik turns on the perfect combination of pride and humility. He impresses the man with his knowledge (Olrik’s been on a boat or two in his lifetime and has been cramming for days) and military discipline. Olrik loves this. There’s something incredibly satisfying in creating a character so completely authentic that his real self disappears. Winning this man over is like getting an award – best performance by a lead actor in an espionage.

After an hour Captain Harris lets on that he might know of something by Friday. Maddox is welcomed to stop by in the afternoon for more talk and maybe a solid lead. Olrik shakes Harris’s hand gratefully.

Walking home, Olrik is struck by how tired he is from the day’s labors. It’s been nearly six weeks since he escaped from Dr. Septimus, but he still hasn’t recovered. Dr. Babanin said it could take a year or more, maybe much more. The trembling is very much like Parkinson’s, although Babanin isn’t saying anything definitive. Olrik also experiences excessive fatigue and loss of appetite frequently, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s ill; anyone who had spent a year as Septimus’s slave would suffer some ill effects. Olrik keeps telling himself that.

Passing by Maddox’s favorite pub, The Brass Key, Olrik decides to treat himself under the cover of reconnaissance. He sits at the bar, orders a pint, and sips it very slowly to kill time until Mrs. Jennings serves dinner. Olrik is thinking about plans B and C and wondering if he should stake out Wilcox’s flat the next day when the man himself pulls up to the bar.

Olrik tightens his grip on his pint glass at the sight of the young scientist, but the man is too absorbed in talking to the bartender (Jimmy, apparently) to notice the dark man in the blue peacoat. Henry is in a fine mood, like a man with a date with a pretty girl, or one who’s just got a raise. Wilcox is a slightly-built man with fine, disheveled sandy hair and a boyish face. At thirty he looks more like a student than a rising physicist. He looks like someone who would buy a round if there were more than two people at the bar. Henry raises his glass to Bill Maddox.

“Fine day.”

“For some,” Olrik answers, bemused.

“You come into money?” He notes that Wilcox has set a huge briefcase on the floor where anyone could lift it given half a chance.

Henry laughs. “Just in a good mood. Work went well for a change.”

“Is that so? Good to hear that’s still happening.” Olrik’s tone captures Henry’s attention and at the younger man’s urging Olrik tells his story in a few minutes: merchant seaman, health problems, looking for work, has a son studying to be an engineer in a far-off school. Henry is obviously touched by Maddox’s plight and wishes him luck. 

Olrik puts a touch of bitterness into his laugh and offers to buy Henry a pint if he gets an offer Friday. He finishes his beer and heads out, feeling Henry’s eyes on his back. Has he taken the bait?

Back at the house, the men share stories of their day. Most of them are day laborers saving to rent a flat or men like himself, travelers between jobs. Olrik mentions his luck looking for work and is quietly welcomed into their fraternity. Many of the older men have arthritis or bad backs, but they work all day just the same. Olrik can only offer his sympathies.

***

The next morning Olrik writes a note for Ignatief and pops it in the post. His plan is to look for work and case Wilcox’s neighborhood at the same time. Wilcox had a flat in a pleasant, nondescript building. There’s no attendant on staff, although there are cleaners and a handyman who go in at out with no particular schedule in mind. The doors of each flat are solid but the locks are old. Olrik files the information away and returns to the docks. This time two captains rebuff him politely but a third asks questions about Maddox’s experience with accounts and supplies. Captain Williams turns out to be a friend of Harris’s. He might have a short run job if Maddox is willing to take charge of ship’s stores and cargo instead of his usual radio work. It’s only temporary (“my regular man’s laid up with a broken leg”) and short-term (“we’ll be back by March 5th”), but if Maddox is willing and can be ready to start by Wednesday, the job is his.

Of course he’s willing, Olrik answers. More than willing. Olrik hands over Maddox’s bona fides and signs the contract. On the way home he stops by Harris’s berth to thank the captain, acquires a few useful books, and buys a bouquet of cheap flowers for Mrs. Jennings.

Mrs. Jennings – Lydia now – pops the flowers into a red glass vase and offers her congratulations. He gives her money to cover his room until Wednesday, when The Defiance embarks, and accepts her offer of her newspaper to read once she’s done with it. Then men of the dinner table offer their less fulsome congratulations and go back to telling their stories. Olrik realizes that they’ve pretty much stopped noticing him. He’s just one of their number, Old Maddox, a nice enough fellow, keeps to himself, nothing to see here. It’s a triumph.

Olrik spends all of Friday figuring out all he’ll need to know to do his new job. Early in his military career, he worked with supplies. Actually, Olrik has done almost every job possible for one army or another. Transferring that experience to a ship shouldn’t be that difficult, but he studies diligently nonetheless. Shortly after five, Olrik packs up his books and documents neatly and heads off to the pub. 

Wilcox shows up a few minutes later, massive briefcase in hand.

“Hey, there, young fellow! Come and get your free pint,” Olrik calls. Wilcox’s face lights up. 

“You have an offer?”

Olrik signals to Jimmy who slides a pint over without a glance. Olrik introduces himself formally and Wilcox is eager to hear of his new friend’s good luck. Olrik recites the story of his job hunt in tedious detail, like an over-enthusiastic golfer reliving every stroke. Wilcox remains patient and polite, respecting his elders like a good boy. 

“Listen to me go on,” Olrik finally finishes. “I’m sorry, son, but I was worried for a while there. I have a feeling this is the beginning of better things. Why don’t I rest my jaw for a while. What’s going on with you?”

Wilcox says that he’s a government engineer working on bridge plans. (“Ah, like my Michael!”) He’s been overloaded at work but his team has hit a breakthrough and his part should be finished soon. In fact, Henry intends to work hard all this weekend in the hope of spending next weekend with his girl. (Olrik knew there’d be a girl.) This perfect angel of a woman has been patient long enough, and deserves some time out with her gentleman friend.

Olrik claps the younger man on the shoulder, puts a few extra coins on the bar, and start heading out. Wilcox walks out with him, and as they’re heading in the same direction, they continue talking. Or rather, Olrik listens and watches the street while Wilcox talk about his Beatrice and his plans for the future.

As they round the next corner, two men rush them, shoving Olrik to the ground. Their faces are covered with scarves. The bigger of the two punches Wilcox right in the face as he rushes to Olrik’s defence. Wilcox fights back, but the two toughs gang up on him punching quickly, snatching the briefcase and yanking his wallet out of his suit pocket. Olrik staggers to his feet and looks around for a weapon. He grabs a dustbin lid and swings at the nearest thug. They both leave Wilcox and throw Olrik back to the ground, raining blows with their fists. Olrik snarls and curses as the pair wrestle his coat off and leave him panting on the ground. 

Olrik limps over to Wilcox who is leaning against the wall, out of breath. 

“Are you all right, lad?”

“Yes, but… oh, god! They’ve taken my case! My work!”

The young man runs down the street to try to catch a glimpse of the men. Olrik waves over a constable and explains the situation. Wilcox is completely distraught and unable to make any sense.

The two of them are escorted to the nearest Scotland Yard office to file a formal complaint. Wilcox begs for he use of the phone so he can explain “the situation” to his superiors. A medical officer gives Olrik some ice and mercurochrome for his battered face and tries to calm Wilcox, who is in near hysterics. Olrik tries to comfort the younger man without much success. A shot of whiskey calms Wilcox down enough to tell his story. Olrik fills in as much detail as he can, and gives a decent description of what the thieves were wearing and their general build. Both were white, ruddy skinned. Beyond that, he can tell them police nothing really helpful. Luckily for Maddox, the coat is replaceable and the wallet contained only cash and not much of that. His papers are back in his room, thank god. A man Wilcox introduces only as a “colleague” shows up to drive the physicist home. He couldn’t be more obviously MI-5 if he had “MI-5” tattooed on his face. Government Goon gives Olrik the side-eye and none-too-subtly takes a look at “Mr. Maddox’s” address on the report.

Olrik murmurs a few words of encouragement to Wilcox and accepts a constable’s offer of a lift home. Mrs. Jennings has been worried about him and cries out when she sees his split lip and bruised cheekbone. He gratefully accepts some warmed-over supper and a small glass of gin-and-water.

As Olrik goes about Mr. Maddox’s business over the next two days, he spots agents on three separate occasions. Coming home from a local chapel on Sunday evening (Maddox would be a churchgoer, he’s decided) Olrik detects signs that his room has been carefully searched. Good luck with that, he thinks. The dossier on Wilcox and everything else remotely related to Olrik was consumed by Mrs. Jenning’s furnace days ago.

On Monday morning, Olrik says his goodbyes to Mrs. Jennings and assures her that they will meet again. He adds a little extra to the bill “on account of all your trouble, Ma’am.” He then visits The Brass Key and leaves a note for Wilcox. Olrik tells Jimmy that he’ll be leaving on a voyage soon, and would like to find out how everything turns out for the nice young fellow. The address on the note is c/o Lydia Jennings.

***

The voyage is uneventful. Olrik has little difficulty keeping track of supplies consumed, taken on, and shipped out. In the evenings, he reads or plays cards with Captain Williams and a few of the crew. It’s a healthy, boring way to live and it does him good to go to bed completely tired with nothing to think about.

It’s a beautiful spring day when they return to London. Olrik shakes hands with Captain Williams and carries his duffle to the old boarding house. Mrs. Jennings is pleased to see him, and to receive the pretty scarf he brought her as a gift. She’ll be expecting a proposal next, Olrik thinks, inwardly smirking. Lydia gives him a letter and insists on sharing her pot of tea and listening to an account of the whole voyage.

Olrik embellishes the tale a bit to make it interesting, and drops the news that he’d headed to Scotland to be with his son. He inserts a few hints that he’s trying to rebuild the father-son relationship, gaining Lydia’s tender approval.

Mrs. Jennings sends him off whistling with a packet of biscuits. Olrik walks for nearly a mile, dumping his duffle bag in a church donation box on the way. Another mile leads to Bank of London branch where he retrieves the contents of a safety deposit box and withdraws a respectable sum of money.

From the bank, a taxi takes Olrik to the Ritz hotel where he has a room reserved and paid for under Ignatief’s name. The clerk hands Olrik his keys, an envelope addressed to “Captain Maddox” (very funny, Ignatief) and notes that two suitcases are in storage and will be sent up shortly. Olrik requests a reservation for 9 o’clock in the hotel restaurant and waves off the offer of an escort.

The room is beautiful, of course, decorated in soft shades of peach, blue, and gold. The bed is twice the size of the one at Mrs. Jennings’s house and three times the width of his berth on The Defiance. Olrik strips to the skin and puts on a hotel bathrobe. When the porter shows up with the suitcases, Olrik sends him off with a request to have the clothes cleaned and a pound note on account.

The suitcases are expensive but obviously used. They contain a small but complete gentleman’s wardrobe, and toiletry kit. None of the clothes are his, but they’re his style, right down to the red robe and thick slippers. Olrik puts everything away carefully, adding the personal effects from his safety deposit box. He takes a long, soapy shower and sits down to read his correspondence.

First, the letter from Wilcox: the boy wants Mr. Maddox to know that he is well, that Beatrice has agreed to marry him, and that everything worked out after the robbery. His briefcase was found a few days later with all the papers intact. It appears that the thieves forced the lock, but were disappointed with the contents and dumped the whole case into a dustbin. Wilcox sends Captain Maddox his address and his best wishes. Olrik refolds the letter and puts it in his wallet. He has every intention of maintaining this correspondence. Wilcox could be a very useful contact in the future, and besides, acting the part of Maddox, even in print, is great fun.

The second envelope is much thicker and contains a smaller package sealed in tape. In coded, oblique language Ignatief indicates that he’s pleased with Olrik’s latest work and wishes him to investigate possible markets (i.e., set up a new arms smuggling operation) in Tanganyika. They can discuss particulars over lunch at the usual place (The Russian Embassy) this Friday. Attached please find something of particular interest to you.

Olrik slices the smaller package with his penknife. The pages are enlarged photographs of documents pertaining to the telecephaloscope. Olrik appreciates the professionalism of the agents who were able to copy all of Wilcox’s papers and return them without arousing the least suspicion. Most of the information is beyond Olrik’s technical expertise, but part of it is very interesting indeed.

“The individuals subjected to the telecephaloscope reported partial short-term memory loss, fatigue, and nervous tremor in every case.”*

Olrik’s heart pounds as he reads further. The other men subjected to that ghastly machine recovered completely within two to three weeks. Of course, they were only under the influence for a few hours, while Olrik was tormented again and again over the course of several months. Olrik reads the passage three more times. Complete recovery. In a daze, he refolds the precious pages and stows them away in the inside pocket of his new blue suit. He’ll have to get a new attaché and journal tomorrow.

Complete recovery. Olrik studies his hands. Maybe they’re bit steadier? He’s been so busy lately, he hasn’t been monitoring his health quite as closely. It’s quite possible that his hands are a bit steadier. Olrik isn’t a praying man, but he allows himself a moment of gratitude and hope. Completely recovery. Complete recovery.

Olrik hangs up the robe and puts on his dinner jacket. It takes him a little longer than it should, but he’s able to tie a perfect bow tie and set his shirt studs and cuffs just so. He examines his face carefully in the mirror. The lines around eyes and brow are deeper than they were a year ago, but his eyes are clear and his face has filled out a bit. He decides to visit the Rivoli for a drink before dinner, and maybe troll for a companion. Having company for the night would be good for his health… if something comes along. No point in actively chasing anything just yet. Suddenly, Olrik feels very hungry. He gives his shoes a last wipe with a soft cloth and takes the stairs all the way to the bar. He’ll have to start exercising more regularly. Tomorrow, he’ll sort out his affairs and find a doctor. Maybe there are things he can do to speed his eventual, complete recovery.

The bar isn’t crowded. There is a young, very thin, very fair man alone at a table, a red-faced gentleman reading a paper, a very old lady at the window, a few couples and small groups, and a dark, bored-looking woman in a black sequined cocktail dress near the bartender. Mischievously, Olrik orders a bottle of champagne and asks that everyone sitting alone be offered a glass. The black-haired woman raises her perfect right eyebrow and glances at Olrik. She doesn’t look horrified. The young man blushes and gestures at the empty seats at his table. Olrik exchanges a glance with the woman and she shrugs, joining him and the blond man.

It’s a beautiful night in one of the world’s most interesting cities. Olrik isn’t at home, but he’s in his element at last.

**Author's Note:**

> * Septimus kidnapped a whole bunch of enemies. Surely the government followed up with them.


End file.
